Pupils could be banned from taking their mobile phones into classrooms as part
of a new drive by Ofsted to improve discipline in schools.

Sir Michael Wilshaw, chief inspector of the education watchdog, said disruption during lesson times was often down to the use of mobiles and that the issue had to be stamped out.

In an interview yesterday, the former headmaster revealed a tough new inspection regime would be introduced in schools from next term.

Under the reforms, schools risk being marked down for failing to tackle persistent interruptions such as text messaging, receiving calls and surfing the web on their phones.

Referring to his decision to ban mobiles while head of the Mossbourne Academy in Hackney, east London, Sir Michael said: “It certainly cut out all that nonsense that you have in schools of these things being brought in and then a mobile phone going off in a lesson.

“The outrageous behaviour that you occasionally see in all schools is serious, but I think the bigger issue is that low-level disruption which takes place which stops children learning effectively. Teachers and head teachers have got to stamp that out.”

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Today, at a conference at Brighton College, Sir Michael will pledge to push ahead with an overhaul of the school inspection regime despite claims from some of “bully boy tactics”.

He will also reveal that heads will be expected to deal more effectively with teachers who cannot control their classes and that they will be marked down if they fail to manage the performance of struggling teachers.

Under his plans 6,000 schools currently deemed “satisfactory” will be reclassified in the next academic year as “requiring improvement”.

Ofsted’s increased focus on standards of pupil behaviour is expected to lead schools to take a tougher approach on the use of mobiles. Few schools currently impose an outright ban on bringing handsets to school. Instead, many require that they are simply switched off.

Teachers already have the powers to search students for phones if they are banned under school rules. Staff may also search pupils suspected of using them to view pornography online.

Sir Michael told the Daily Mail: “I know this is a tough message but I think in a few years’ time it will be seen as a right one.

“I’m not a bully and never have been. We are raising the game. We are saying that all children deserve a good education and nothing less.

“If the culture of the school is good and somebody is consistently underperforming because they are not teaching effectively, leading to that low-level disruption, that’s got to be picked up."

A Department for Education spokesman said: “Parents should take responsibility for whether or not their children have phones in the first place.

“It is up to individual head teachers to decide if and when mobile phones should be used by pupils in school.”